All executive committee members of PSEB Engineers Association sat on dharna at mall road in front of PSEB head office yesterday to protest against violation of tripartite agreement by Punjab Government and power companies.

Baldev Singh Sran, President of
association said that today's' Dharna was part of the ongoing
agitation programme against the unresponsive and callus attitudes of
the management and the government. The engineers are agitated over
the move of the Punjab government?s to raise the retirement
age of CMD's / Directors from 62 to 65 years and for allowing entry
of IAS officers in the management.

In
Focus

The Government has violated the
tripartite agreement and has amended the qualification criteria
without reaching an understanding with the Association. This is
against the concept of professionalism of the power sector agreed by
the Government at the time of unbundling of PSEB during 2010.

The Association further alleged that government has failed to
notify the common recruitment and cadre of PSPCL and PSTCL despite
clear-cut agreement reached with the Association. The engineers have
been denied the differential in the pay scales as per TPA whereas
other employees have been given the same.

Sanjeev Sood General Secretary of Association further criticized
the role of the managements of PSPCL and PSTCL in delaying the
implementation of cadre review report regarding rationalization of
the work load of the engineers for bringing efficiency.

PSPCL management has failed to show any progress in the execution
of 1320 MW state sector thermal project at Mukerian despite the fact
that adequate quantity of indigenous coal is available in our captive
coal mine which shall bring down the cost of power by at least 60
p/unit. Further there is acute shortage of staff in the field for
which management's have failed to provide any solution which is
adversely affecting the consumer services.

Whereas on one hand, the management is resorting to incurring
unproductive expenditures in building guests houses but the genuine
demands of the engineers are being overlooked on the pretext of
austerity.

PSPCL Management has failed to take any action as per coal
purchase agreement against a private supplier of coal (PANAM) which
is repeatedly stopping the coal supply to state's own thermal plants
and instead, management is buying electricity on higher rates from
private players.

Total reliance on private sector for generation of electricity has
raised the cost of power in the state. Further management has failed
to get the 951 crore from private thermal generators in Punjab as
late delivery charges.